Re: more missing info

Hi John:
Back channel me at the above address then you get a chance....
493 and 492 were placed in the Chama enginehouse (the old roundhouse) a few years ago to have thier asbestos boiler lagging removed by a private contractor. This had been done a few year before to 494 and 495 over in Antonito. About that time, the CMO (Jack Campbell) had the idea of making 483 a "spare time" project. Remember this was when 6 engines were up and running. He went to the Commission and reminded them we had these two engines whose boilers were covered with the deaded "A" word. The wheels of the commission move ever so slowly and by the time $$ came forward for abatement of the "A" word on 483 and 492, Jack was long gone.
Around 1999-2000 (I was gone by then and don't recall) 483 and 492 were placed in the old roundhouse to have the piping and lagging removed. This started wild rumors and speculation that one or both were to be considered for operation - at a time when the rest of the operating fleet was either operationally on its last legs or about to be sidelined by the new FRA 230 regs.
492 did have some significant boiler work done to it in the 1950's, work that most of the 490's got, but appearently 497 missed out on. There has been some idle "sandhouse" gossip about taking all the good stuff off 497 and putting it on 492 if 497's boiler shows serious problems.
But until 497 is stripped and inspected it is ALL speculation and rumor. If 497 is found deficient, and eyes are cast in 492's direction, 492 will then need to be looked at with the same critical eye, flues removed, ultrasonicly tested (read $$$ spent) before a determination can be made.
Returning 483 to service is a serious pipe dream in my opinon. 483 lost many important and difficult to replace parts (more big $$$) in the 497-482 swap. An entire new tender would be needed - from the wheels up.
With the current tasks in front of the c&TS mechanical dept. Any speculation on 483 is wasted effort.
I feel the 463 maybe easier than most think. It had major boiler work done to it when it was restored, a new form 4 was created then. There are lots of unknowns there too as the form 4 was created using the old methods of "as built" compared to "as is" in the new requirements. In several regards 463's boiler was overbuilt, however the D&RGW did do several modifications to it that were not recalculated - and the 480's are faced with the same problems.
But as others have pointed out, 463 is too small to be of daily use and therefore it's priority is way down the list.
I sould point that I'm not there anymore and these are the opinons of myself alone.